I have friends and family who want to keep up with me and in touch, so I created this blog as a way for me to tell them all the news and stories they want to hear, and on their own time. I also hope to give others an understanding of what it means to serve in the IDF and the service those who do serve are doing.

Friday, January 1, 2010

From the Chief of Staff to being the best

So this week was supposed to be shooting week for my whole Plugah (Company) but I was pulled out of my Plugah and placed in a week of Hebrew studies. I really did nt want to be there but I was learning there and while I was given the opportunity to leave I chose to stay. So the week ground on and by Wednesday I was already beginning to get really frustrated with the way things were going. After lunch on Wednesday we gt some interesting news though, Gabi Ashkenazi, the Chief of Staff of the IDF, was coming to our base to visit. We all thought this was mighty cool, but it got better when I found out I will be in some sort of meeting with the Chief of Staff and was going to be sent back t my room to reshave and shine my shoes. So me and a few other soldiers were taken back to our rooms we shaved ,and shined our shoes and were reformed ready to go. We get to the small auditorium and are seated we are abut 50 people in the room including soldiers in basic and advanced training, as well as officers of ours. We sit and wait a good 30 minutes and then we are all told to stand and the room goes dead silent. Then in walks Gabi Ashkenzai. He tells us all to sit and remove our berets and he begins to talk. He asks if there are any Mifaked Chuliot (Team Leaders, a position filled by the more promising soldiers in training) in the room and then begins to talk with one of the ones present. He then asks if there are any Chayalim Bodedim (Lonely Soldiers literally, meaning a soldier with no immediate family in the country like me) and I and my friend next t me raise our hands. So unluckily for me my friend next t me got called on, so I just missed talking to the Chief of Staff. From there he continued too talk and he said some important things. First he reminded us just because our borders are quite does not mean our enemies have become our friends, and we must still be ever vigilant. He also reminded us our enemies are training and we must be training as well, and making the best of the training we are getting.

On Thursday my week of Ulpan came to a close and they gave out rewards to the Mitztaynim (Best Soldiers) for the week. So I got Mitztayen for my Hebrew level and this meant I was supposed to get a chamshush (released for the weekend on Thursday instead of Friday). So I went to my Mifaked (squad leader) when I gt back to my company and asked about it, and he told me he will check with the higher ups about it. So I waited and 5 minutes latter he tld me to go put on my Alephs (dress uniform) and hurry down I had to talk to the Company Commander before I could leave. So I hurried to change, shave and polish me shoes, and got back down quickly. Then the Company Commander came out and after saluting him he looked at my certificate and tld me congratulations, and that I was getting the chamshush, but not because of the week of Hebrew, but because every week I was the one trying hard and putting in the effort to do my best and it was coming my way and I deserved it. He then shook my hand and I was on my way. So on Friday morning for the first time in a long time I woke up in my bed.